


storm: discovering your worth

by SEMellark



Series: KHR Omegaverse [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bullying, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pack Dynamics, References to attempted suicide, Sexism, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SEMellark/pseuds/SEMellark
Summary: Tsuna didn't know why Reborn had brought Gokudera Hayato to Japan. He didn't know the circumstances, didn't know why Gokudera couldn't seem to interact with anyone on a personal level, or why he looked at Tsuna with something like hatred in his eyes.He didn't know why Reborn brought Gokudera tohim.But that didn't mean Tsuna wasn't going to help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Back sooner than I thought but, hey, have to avoid thinking about the upcoming semester somehow

Tsuna, much like everyone else at Namimori Middle, was deathly terrified of Hibari Kyouya. It wasn’t really anything the alpha had done, per se. His reputation certainly exceeded him, at least as far as Tsuna was concerned, but that wasn’t really what unnerved him.

It was the _idea_ of Hibari that put Tsuna on edge: a forceful, territorial alpha that got his way no matter the circumstance. Rumor had it that Hibari wasn’t even supposed to be in middle school anymore but had just refused to move on to high school. And no one, not even the adults, could make him.

Hibari was the type of alpha that made people expose their necks whether they wanted to or not. He was the pinnacle of all things alpha. There was something about him that set him apart from everyone else, something Tsuna couldn’t quite place.

That nameless something was why he basically ran the school. It was why people feared and respected him. It was why Tsuna absolutely _had_ to keep his guard up; and resolutely avoiding his problems was one of the only things Tsuna was actually good at.

But Hibari Kyouya was impossible to ignore. Especially when he was determined to make himself heard.

When the older alpha came to their class one day, stepping into the room without a word of greeting, everyone immediately lost track of what they were doing. Even their teacher stopped the lesson mid-sentence when Hibari slid the door open, stepping away from the blackboard and back toward his desk in demur to the much younger alpha. Hibari, however, didn’t even acknowledge him.

“Sawada Tsunayoshi,” Hibari said, in that low, firm voice of his that left zero room for interruption. His eyes zeroed in on Tsuna immediately, gaze dark and unwavering. “I have important matters to discuss with you.”

To say that Tsuna was petrified was an understatement. For a few long moments, he couldn’t even move, just sat in quiet horror as everyone’s eyes shifted to him. He swallowed down the distressed whimper clawing at his throat and stood, willing his legs not to shake as he made his way to the front of the room.

Hibari turned and left as soon as Tsuna made a move to follow him, ignoring the teacher as he dipped his head to him quietly. Yamamoto had a peculiar expression on his face as he watched Hibari disappear out into the hallway, but as Tsuna passed his desk, his down-turned mouth morphed into a smile. _You’ll be okay,_ he mouthed, giving him a thumbs up, and Tsuna nodded with a confidence he didn’t feel.

Hibari had his arms crossed over his chest as Tsuna stepped out into the hallway, sliding the classroom door shut behind him. His dark stare was unwavering as Tsuna fidgeted in place, resisting the urge to turn tail and find the nearest place to hide. “Um,” Tsuna began as the silence between them stretched, “are we… going to the Disciplinary Committee room?”

“This will do,” Hibari said. “Were you on the roof last month on the seventh?”

Tsuna felt himself physically twitch. Even though he was on the roof almost all the time – aside from when Hibari himself was up there napping – he didn’t have to ask Hibari to explain what had been so special about the seventh. The more time that passed, and the closer he grew to Yamamoto, the more that day cemented itself in his mind.

“Answer me,” Hibari snapped, and Tsuna flinched, replying, “Y – Yeah, I was.”

Hibari nodded. “With Yamamoto Takeshi.” At Tsuna’s incredulous look, the alpha added, “I already know you two were up there. I just need you to tell me why.”

“Why?” Tsuna asked before he could think better of it. Hibari’s stare sharpened, but Tsuna forced himself to stand his ground. “What will you do once you know?”

“Are you saying you won’t tell me?” Hibari asked coolly. “I could just ask Yamamoto if – “

“No, don’t!” Tsuna figured he’d already signed his own death warrant at this point. Hibari’s scent was starting to sour with what was probably irritation. Tsuna figured he couldn’t dodge the interrogation for too much longer before Hibari brought out his tonfas. Tsuna had never been on the receiving end of them, personally, but he’d seen the bruises on young and foolish alphas who thought they could take on the leader of the Disciplinary Committee. “We were – Yamamoto was – “

Hibari stayed quiet as Tsuna floundered for what to say. He was no less irritated, but he seemed willing to indulge Tsuna’s stammering, if it meant finally getting what he wanted.

“He was going to jump,” Tsuna blurted out. The words, once they were out, rung in Tsuna’s ears. He wanted to throw up, but Hibari didn’t even blink. “I stopped him, but… yeah. That’s why we were up there.”

“You stopped him,” Hibari repeated. Tsuna couldn’t gauge how he was feeling, if he was incredulous or just plain bored. “You talked him down?”

“Pulled him down, more like,” Tsuna sighed. Some part of him was glad to get this off his chest. He’d been worrying about it for so long, even if Yamamoto seemed to be fine now that his arm had healed. It was weird, spilling his greatest worry to Hibari Kyouya of all people. But maybe Hibari, with all the power he had, could do something about it where Tsuna could not. “He wasn’t in the best place. I mean, he’s gotten better! But I’m still – “

“So there’s no longer a problem,” Hibari cut in, nodding to himself as he turned his piercing gaze away from Tsuna. “This will all go on record. Your honesty is appreciated.”

Tsuna watched, perplexed, as Hibari turned to go. That was it? “W – Wait! You still didn’t tell me why you wanted to know. Are you going to do something about it?”

“Why should I?” Hibari asked, turning to glance at Tsuna over his shoulder. He looked decidedly calm for someone who just heard that a student had tried to commit suicide. “Yamamoto is still alive. From what I can tell, he’s not going to try again. We just needed proper documentation.”

“You’ll document what happened but you won’t do _anything_ about it?” Tsuna demanded, fists clenched at his sides as he glared down the strongest alpha he’d ever met. “What good is the Disciplinary Committee to the student body if they don’t actually help anyone?”

The omega part of Tsuna’s brain was having a full-blown meltdown. _Danger,_ it whispered as Hibari turned back to face him. _Submit,_ it howled as Hibari took steps toward him, face shadowed and scent oozing the strongest of pheromones. They filled the hallway like an invisible, poisonous gas, burning Tsuna's nose and throat. 

Every part of Tsuna told him he should be cowering and praying for his life. But another part of Tsuna wanted to fight. For Yamamoto. That part kept the omega firmly rooted to his place.

The two of them were maybe three feet apart when Hibari abruptly stopped walking. He lifted a hand, and Tsuna tensed, bracing himself.

Hibari slapped himself across the face.

The classroom door slid open behind Tsuna, and he felt a hand on his shoulder right before he was yanked back. He never once took his eyes off the blooming red mark on Hibari’s face.

“Did you get all you needed from Tsuna?” Yamamoto asked, almost conversationally. He removed his hand from Tsuna’s shoulder, but he remained at his side. Distantly, Tsuna heard a harsh, quiet voice from the classroom whisper, “Takeshi, what are you _doing_?”

Hibari said nothing for a moment. He took long, even breaths through his nose, and the oppressive weight of his scent began to lessen. And Tsuna was still kind of terrified, but something about what he’d just witnessed made him feel… differently, about Hibari Kyouya, although he wasn’t sure what had changed.

He was less confident in the alpha’s unwavering stability, definitely.

“It’s enough for today,” Hibari said, speaking directly to Yamamoto. He didn’t look at Tsuna again as he turned and stalked off down the hall, the tails of his long jacket flapping due to the speed of his retreat.

It wasn’t until Hibari was out of sight that Tsuna released a long and shaky breath, crouching down and curling in on himself to press his forehead to his knees. “Tsuna?” Yamamoto crouched down beside him. “You okay?”

“Why did I do that?” Tsuna asked, voice shrill to his own ears. “Am I stupid? Do I have a death wish?”

“You’re definitely crazy,” Yamamoto conceded. “But that’s what makes you fun, ya know?”

“Tsuna-kun?” That was Kyouko’s voice, distinguishable over the loud chatter that erupted from their classroom at Hibari’s swift exit. Their teacher’s attempts to calm them down proved fruitless. “Yamamoto-kun, is he okay?”

Tsuna’s head shot up, a horrible thought coming to him. “No one could hear us, right?” he asked weakly, staring up at Yamamoto. “I wasn’t loud?”

Yamamoto frowned, shaking his head. “I couldn’t hear a thing, and I’m near the front. He didn’t threaten you, did he?”

Relief made Tsuna’s body weak, but he managed to push himself back up to his full height, Yamamoto following suit. “No, he just… was curious about some stuff. Private stuff.”

Yamamoto huffed, hands on his hips. “That guy. Maybe once we graduate, we’ll finally be rid of him.”

Tsuna wasn’t too sure about that. He had a feeling that, no matter how much time passed or how much distance was put between them, he’d never forget the _weight_ of Hibari’s scent, or the image of the alpha slapping himself in the face.

***

Yamamoto and Kyouko walked home with Tsuna that day, no matter how much he protested or insisted he was fine on his own. Privately, Tsuna was glad for the company. His confrontation with Hibari had left him shaky and exhausted, though he’d certainly been left with a lot to think about.

“I haven’t been here in years,” Yamamoto mused as they walked up to the Sawada front gate. “Not since we were in daycare.”

“You two are childhood friends?” Kyouko asked. “I didn’t know that.”

Tsuna shrugged, unsure of how to respond to that without sounding like an idiot. Yamamoto didn’t seem to appreciate his noncommittal response, however, shoving his shoulder into Tsuna’s with an indignant yet playful air. “I used to cry when my dad would drop me off,” Yamamoto said with a laugh. “Then Tsuna would start crying because I was. And then his _mom_ would start crying.”

Kyouko giggled while Tsuna spluttered indignantly. “How do you even remember that, Yamamoto-kun?”

“I don’t. My dad loves to tell me that story though.”

Tsuna didn’t know what to think about Yamamoto’s father talking about him, but he figured he had more important things to worry about these days. “Thanks for walking me, you guys,” Tsuna said, almost wishing they wouldn’t try to invite themselves in. Kyouko probably wouldn’t, but Yamamoto was a wild card. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

They both nodded, Kyouko waving as she turned to go one way down the street. Yamamoto started to go the other, but not before patting Tsuna’s shoulder inexplicably without a word. Tsuna sighed to himself before opening the gate, the weight of his backpack on his shoulders almost overpowering.

He was running on fumes at this point, counting down the seconds until he was home with Nana, where he was safe. All he wanted to do was eat dinner, take a long bath, and fall into bed to sleep for a year. Thankfully they didn’t have any math homework, their teacher too shaken from the afternoon’s events to assign any; but Tsuna still had English and chemistry homework to do. Maybe it would go away if he just ignored it?

Tsuna had just closed the front door and was pulling off his shoes when Nana appeared from around the corner, a large smile on her face. “Welcome home, Tsu-kun. How was your day?”

“Fine,” Tsuna replied. No need to get into specifics and worry her. “How was yours?”

“Oh, it was just wonderful! You’ll never guess who decided to pay us a visit.”

Tsuna froze, sneakers still in hand. Now that he was paying attention, there _was_ a familiar scent aside from his own and Nana’s in the house. But it was accompanied by another that Tsuna didn’t recognize. How had he missed that?

“Come, come.” Nana ushered him further into the house, taking her reluctant omega son by the hand and pulling him into the dining room. “I was just about to make some tea. Sit down and say hi.”

What exactly Tsuna had done to deserve any of it, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that his day was about to go from weird to weirder, and that there was no hope of him going to bed at a decent hour.

“Hey, Uncle Reborn,” Tsuna said, offering the man sitting at the dining table what he was sure was the most pitiful of smiles. Tsuna’s attention, however, almost immediately drifted to the person sitting beside Reborn. His usual assessment told him _male_ and _omega_ but nothing really beyond that. He couldn’t get a read on how old the boy might have been, or even how he was feeling. His eyes, a dark contrast to his ashen face, were fixed firmly on the table. “What are you doing here?”

“Try to curb your enthusiasm, kiddo,” Reborn replied. The pale omega seated at the table beside him said nothing. He didn’t even lift his eyes to greet Tsuna properly. He couldn’t explain it, but something about his demeanor put Tsuna on edge. Something was _very_ wrong there. “I brought someone here to meet you.”


	2. Chapter 2

Tsuna waited until Gokudera had gone upstairs with Nana to get settled in before rounding on Reborn. “Okay, what is going on?”

Reborn took a sip of his tea, the porcelain cup seeming even more fragile in his large hands. “Why does something have to be going on?”

“We haven’t seen you in, like, two years.” Tsuna leaned forward in his chair, meeting Reborn’s eyes across the table. “And then you just show up with no warning? With some guy who you say is gonna be staying with us for a while? Am I wrong to think this is weird?”

“No, you’re not,” Reborn said. He regarded Tsuna with a level stare, though he seemed thoughtful as he set down his cup. “You heard from Iemitsu lately?”

Tsuna scowled. “You know we haven’t.”

“I had a suspicion,” Reborn corrected him. “Not that I’m surprised.”

“Mom says he has a lot going on,” Tsuna said, though from the look on Reborn’s face, he believed that about as much as Tsuna did. “I don’t know. Why are we even talking about him?”

Reborn sighed. “It puts me in an awkward position, kiddo. I can’t be certain of what he’s already told you.”

The older alpha’s words didn’t come as a surprise. Tsuna had known Reborn for a long time. When Tsuna was younger, Reborn’s visits always coincided with Nana’s heats, so he was the one taking care of Tsuna for a week three times a year while she was incapacitated. Sometimes Iemitsu came with him, but usually he didn’t.

A lot of Tsuna’s earliest memories involved him: watching Japanese dubs of Disney movies until the early morning hours, walking to pre-school together hand in hand, seeing him off at the airport with Nana while Tsuna tried his best not to cry.

Tsuna felt that he knew Reborn pretty well, even better than his own father. But he was shrouded in just as much mystery, no matter how much Tsuna liked to ignore the fact. Reborn loved to be cryptic, always hinting at _something,_ something he seemed to _want_ to tell Tsuna, though he held back for Nana’s sake. She tended to get weird when Reborn was around, though her scent was always happy and content. It got worse as Tsuna aged, or maybe Tsuna just noticed it more, when Reborn would open his mouth only to cough and busy himself elsewhere at just a look from Nana.

Something was going on there and had been for as long as Tsuna could remember. He’d resigned himself to probably never knowing and managed to forget about the strangeness more often than not. But Reborn always brought it back with him.

“Tell me about Gokudera-kun, then,” Tsuna said. 

Again, Reborn sighed, mouth twitching into a frown that rivaled Hibari’s. Almost. “How much do you know about foreign second-gender policies?” At Tsuna’s blank stare, Reborn snorted out a laugh, and his frown disappeared. “Oh, yeah, never mind. I’ve seen your report cards.”

“It doesn’t involve me, so why do I have to learn it?” Tsuna grumbled half-heartedly. That excuse never worked on his teachers or Nana, but Reborn only nodded and said, “I see why you’d think that.”

Something about the wording pinged in Tsuna’s brain as odd, but Reborn continued before he could really dwell on it. “You know your dad and I are from Italy, right?”

“I thought Dad was raised here?”

“He was, for the most part. Your grandmother was Japanese, and your grandfather was Italian, so Iemitsu spent a lot of time in Italy,” Reborn explained. It sounded familiar, as if someone had told Tsuna that before, but it hardly even mattered. He’d never met any of his grandparents on either of his parents’ sides. Nana and Iemitsu were the only family he really had. “That’s kinda why he sucks so bad.”

Startled, Tsuna barked out a laugh, clapping his hands over his mouth almost as soon as the sound escaped him. It wasn’t even that funny. Tsuna just didn’t get much of a chance to air out any of his grievances with Iemitsu; not when Nana tended to deflate at the mention of him.

“Things are… different in some parts of Italy,” Reborn went on to say. “Second-gender and pack dynamics aren’t what you’re used to.”

“Is it bad?” Tsuna asked through his fingers.

Reborn shrugged. “Things could be worse. Explaining it to you would be more trouble than it’s worth. There’s too much history and politics involved. Even I don’t understand it all.” He took a deep breath then, picking up his teacup again but not lifting it to his mouth, staring down into the light liquid with a complicated expression. “I’m not exactly the best person to ask, though. I’m an alpha, you know? I’ve had it a lot better than most.”

Tsuna lowered his hands back down to his lap. “You mean like Gokudera-kun?”

“He hasn’t had it easy,” Reborn said in reply. “It’s a complicated situation. I brought him here because I think seeing how things are outside of Italy will help.”

“And his parents were okay with that? You’re not related to him, are you?”

“I’m as much related to him as I am to you,” Reborn replied, which was to say, not at all. “I have agency over him for the time being. And he’ll stay here until he wants to go back.”

Tsuna didn’t think Gokudera even _wanted_ to be there. He hadn’t said a word aside from a mumbled “ _Grazi_ ” when Nana gave him his tea, and he’d seemed nervous when Nana offered to show him Tsuna’s bedroom, where he’d be staying until Reborn cleared out the spare bedroom next to Tsuna’s. Only an encouraging dip of the head from Reborn had made the omega get up to go with Nana. Maybe it was just the stress of a new environment, but Tsuna couldn’t help but think it was more than that.

“Is there anything else I should know about him?” Tsuna asked, his curiosity far from sated.

Reborn shook his head. “It isn’t my story to tell. All I can say is that his parents… well, they aren’t like Nana.”

Tsuna didn’t think anyone could be like Nana, but he was probably biased. He understood what Reborn was trying to tell him regardless.

“I know this is a lot to ask of you,” Reborn said, tone a strange sort of serious that made Tsuna straighten in his chair. “I know you’ve got your own stuff going on. But I want you to look out for Hayato. He doesn’t have a lot of people on his side, and he definitely needs a friend.”

“But I’m – “ Tsuna began before thinking better of it. What could he even tell Reborn? Sorry, but I’m not the type of person anyone needs as a friend? Having me around will just make Gokudera a target? Tsuna shuddered at the thought of what Reborn would do if he said any of those things. “You know I’m not… good, with people. I can wait until he opens up to me, I guess, _if_ he opens up. But what if I just make things worse in the meantime?”

“You won’t,” Reborn said easily, like he didn’t even have to think about it. “I think if anyone can sympathize with what Hayato’s going through, it’s you, Tsuna. Just trust me on that.”

Despite his lingering doubts, Tsuna couldn’t protest when Reborn said things plainly like that. “Okay,” Tsuna said. “I’ll try.”

Reborn nodded, the serious atmosphere melting away as quickly as it had come. He took another sip from his tea before setting the cup in the saucer, arching back into his chair with a low groan. “I’ll never get used to the flight over here. No one should have to sit still for that long. My back is _killing_ me.”

“Maybe you’re just getting old.”

“Or I’m just stiff,” Reborn said cheerfully, getting up from the table. “You know what I need? A nice, long run.”

Tsuna immediately felt queasy, returning Reborn’s downright evil grin with a hesitant one of his own. “Uh, have fun?”

“Oh, no, you’re coming with me. I haven’t been here in a while, what if I get lost?”

“But I – I have to… homework?”

“Try harder, Tsuna,” Reborn called over his shoulder as he headed for the front door. “Get your running shoes. And tell Hayato to come with us.”

Tsuna sighed, knowing there was absolutely no way out of the situation. He cleared the remaining dishes from the table and left them in the sink for later before heading upstairs. Nana poked her head around the corner at the top of the stairs, looking down on Tsuna as he trudged toward her. “Did I hear that you’re going out?” she asked. “Where are you boys off to?”

“Uncle Reborn wants to run,” Tsuna said petulantly, whining a bit at Nana’s responding giggle. “ _Mom,_ don’t you care? I’m gonna die!”

“You could use a little more exercise, Tsu-kun,” Nana said with a wave of her hand. She swept Tsuna up into a hug as he reached her, and Tsuna let his eyes drift shut as she scented him. “I don’t want my little boy suffering from muscle atrophy.”

“Mom,” Tsuna groaned again. “I’m not that bad.”

“You are,” she replied. “Hayato-kun’s getting settled in your room. This will be a good chance to show him around a little before school on Monday!”

“School?” Tsuna echoed. “He’s coming to school with me?”

Nana cocked her head. “Not tomorrow. He won't start until Monday. Didn’t Reborn tell you?”

“He conveniently left that part out.”

“Boys as young as you two can’t slack on your studies,” Nana said firmly, ignoring Tsuna’s wince. “Hayato-kun may be here for a while, so we can’t let him fall behind. I want you to help him catch up with what you’re learning in your classes, okay?”

“Yeah, okay, Mom.”

Nana headed downstairs with a parting kiss to Tsuna’s temple, leaving Tsuna to breathe deeply and steel himself before entering his own room. He found Gokudera at the window, staring out over the street below. The bags he’d brought with him were still sitting untouched by Tsuna’s closet, as was the guest futon Nana must have brought out from storage.

 _So much for getting settled in,_ Tsuna thought before clearing his throat. “Um, Gokudera-kun?” The other omega stiffened. He didn’t turn around or say a word, but his body language was acknowledgement enough. Tsuna waited another moment before continuing. “Reborn wants to go for a run. I’m going with him, so, uh. Do you want to come, too?”

More silence was Tsuna’s answer. The omega couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so uncomfortable in his own home, in his own _room;_ although he was used to having his space invaded, the situation itself was entirely new to him. Tsuna wanted to say more, but Gokudera turned to him, then, fixing Tsuna with a stare that shook him to the very core. It made him feel small, like he was at school and not at home.

“Sorry, I’ll just,” Tsuna trailed off nervously, darting to his closet and grabbing his shoes and a change of clothes before turning tail and leaving.

“Is Hayato behind you?” Reborn asked, after Tsuna had changed in the bathroom and met him outside.

“He didn’t want to come,” Tsuna said, averting Reborn’s searching stare as best he could.

Reborn hummed in the back of his throat, eyes drifting up to Tsuna’s bedroom window. He stood there quietly for another moment before turning away. “Maybe next time, then. Let’s go, Tsuna.”

Tsuna followed Reborn out of the yard, knowing that Gokudera was probably still at the window, watching them leave. Some part of him felt badly, even though he’d tried. And, yeah, maybe he could’ve tried harder, but the look in Gokudera’s eyes when he’d spoken to him… well, Tsuna wasn’t going to stick around after that.

But that interaction, more than anything, cemented the idea in Tsuna’s mind that something needed to be done.

Tsuna didn't know why Reborn had brought Gokudera Hayato to Japan. He didn't know the circumstances, didn't know why Gokudera couldn't seem to interact with anyone on a personal level, or why he looked at Tsuna with something like hatred in his eyes.

He didn't know why Reborn brought Gokudera to _him._

But that didn't mean Tsuna wasn't going to help.

***

Monday morning found all eyes on Tsuna as he stumbled into class before the morning bell, for the first time in the history of Namimori Middle.

Having the attention of all his classmates, when he was used to slipping under the radar, unnerved Tsuna. He sought out Yamamoto, perched on his desk in the front row. When their eyes met, Tsuna allowed himself to relax.

“Tsuna! You aren’t late today.” Yamamoto laughed, but it wasn’t unkind. “Takeda-sensei’s gonna cry.”

Tsuna huffed, clutching the straps of his backpack. “I ran into him in the teachers’ office. He didn’t say one word, just sat there and stared at me!”

“What were you doing there so early?” Kyouko asked as she wandered over, sharing a glance with Yamamoto. “You’re not in trouble or anything?”

“It’s, uh… well, you’ll see.”

Neither of them seemed placated by his answer, but Tsuna was too exhausted from the weekend to think about it. He was following Kyouko back to their desks when the classroom door slid open and their homeroom teacher, Mr. Takeda, walked in. Most of the students fell quiet at his entrance, though it really had nothing to do with the old omega himself, and everything to do with the new transfer student trailing behind him.

“Good morning, everyone. Quiet down and take your seats, please,” Takeda said, even though everyone was completely silent at their respective desks. “I’m sure you’ll be excited to hear that we have a new friend joining us today. He came to Namimori all the way from Italy. Gokudera, would you please write your name on the board for everyone?”

Tsuna watched, tightly wound, as the boy hesitated for a moment before turning and accepting the small piece of chalk being offered to him. Tsuna had never had a transfer student in his class before, although they’d had an exchange student from America back during their first year. He wasn’t sure what kinds of introductions transfer students were supposed to make, but he’d spent most of the weekend Googling it and had tried to prepare Gokudera as best he could.

Not that Tsuna was sure Gokudera had even listened to anything he’d said. They’d barely spoken over the weekend, barely acknowledged one another’s presence aside from a few awkward collisions in the hall and accidental eye-contact.

Watching Gokudera write his name on the board made Tsuna nervous. He was taking his time with it, but he was writing it completely in Hiragana. Shockingly, no one giggled or leaned over to whisper in a neighbor’s ear. If Tsuna were the one doing that, he’d definitely get heckled or called a baby.

“Very good,” Takeda said as Gokudera finished, setting the chalk down and turning to face the class again. “Now, why don’t you introduce yourself to the class a little? Nothing fancy, just tell us a bit about yourself.”

Gokudera blinked slowly, his face blanched in a way that was _just_ off from the pallor Tsuna had come to expect. The fact that he was responding to any of this at all was a marvel.

“I’m Gokudera Hayato,” Gokudera said. Tsuna had to strain to hear him, and he wasn’t even in the back row. For a moment – and Tsuna probably just imagined it – Gokudera’s dark eyes flitted to Tsuna before returning his gaze to an indiscriminate spot on the back wall. “I come from Naples. I look forward to spending the term with you all.”

He bowed, deep and with an impossibly straight back. Tsuna clapped along with the rest of his classmates, imagining robots copying human mannerisms and immediately hating himself for it.

“Your Japanese is very good, Gokudera,” Takeda commented once the clapping had quieted down. “We’ll put you in the desk behind Sawada, since his family is hosting you. Iki, would mind moving to the empty desk in the back?”

“What, like I’m gonna challenge him on who gets to sit behind No G – Sawada? No way,” Iki said, quiet enough that the whole class could hear but softly enough that Takeda – who was notoriously hard of hearing – couldn’t. The soft titters of amusement were expected, but all Tsuna thought was that putting Gokudera close to him was _not_ the way to go about making the new student comfortable.

Gokudera only nodded, stepping away from the chalkboard and heading back towards Tsuna’s neck. His cool, guarded expression twitched minutely as he walked by Yamamoto’s desk, but it smoothed out again as he sidled past Tsuna and Kyouko.

Tsuna was filled with a now familiar sense of unease as Gokudera slipped out of his periphery. He was used to being aware of his surroundings at all times, but it was different with Gokudera. If he wasn’t in Tsuna’s line of sight, it was like he didn’t exist at all.

He was like a ghost, slipping into or beyond the awareness of others as he pleased. And to someone like Tsuna, there was nothing scarier.

***

Later in the day, the lunch bell had barely rung before Gokudera’s desk was partially swarmed. Tsuna had enough room to get out of his desk but only just about. Yamamoto was at the front of the room waiting, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his wrapped bento. He held it up when he caught Tsuna looking, a single eyebrow raised in question, but Tsuna hesitated.

“Where exactly is Naples, Hayato-kun?” a female alpha asked. She was the closest to Gokudera by far, her hip almost bumping his shoulder as she leaned in close.

Gokudera fiddled with his pencil, shoulders hunched and expression nonchalant yet fear-muted. He seemed lost, like he had over the weekend whenever Reborn stepped out of the room or left the house.

“It’s along the coast.” Tsuna flinched back slightly as the eyes of his classmates flitted to him. “In the south.”

“How do _you_ know that?” a boy asked, but the female alpha only turned back to Gokudera with a shrug and a, “No one asked you, No Good Tsuna.”

“My, uh, my uncle’s from Italy,” Tsuna laughed, rubbing at the back of his neck. He would’ve averted his gaze and scurried off as usual, but it was then that he noticed Gokudera was looking at him. _Actually_ looking at him, with real eye contact and everything. 

But it wasn't the same as the first time, when the acid in Gokudera's stare made Tsuna turn and flee. There was a depth of feeling there that Tsuna hadn’t seen in the entire three days he’d known Gokudera Hayato. Something inside Tsuna’s chest swelled with a foreign heat. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it didn’t feel good either.

“Hey, Tsuna, you ready to go?” Yamamoto called. Kyouko had already left the classroom to find her friend Hana. They were the only ones left in the room aside from the six or seven kids who’d hustled to Gokudera’s desk at the bell. “My dad made hamburg steak for the two of us.”

Tsuna hadn’t realized he’d forgotten his lunch until that moment. He’d been so frazzled that morning trying to catch Reborn before they had to leave to ask him just what the heck he was supposed to do with Gokudera at school. The older alpha had seemed to get out everything he’d wanted to say Friday afternoon and had nothing new to add at any point aside from a private conversation before the boys left for school.

“Watch out for him,” Reborn had said. “He doesn’t have much of a fight or flight instinct. He tends to freeze up more than anything.”

Reluctantly, Tsuna started to back off. His classmates didn’t want him around. And maybe it would be good for Gokudera to make new friends. He hadn’t opened up to Tsuna at all, but maybe someone in the class could provide whatever it was that Gokudera needed.

He’d turned and was walking toward Yamamoto when he heard the abrupt screech of a chair being pushed back. Yamamoto’s expression seemed perplexed, and when Tsuna glanced over his shoulder, he saw Gokudera standing amidst the semi-circle of Tsuna’s peers.

“Sawada,” he said, yet he didn’t move a muscle. His eyes, fixated on Tsuna, were expectant.

And for a moment, Tsuna was angry; with himself for not getting the answers he needed, with Reborn for dodging his questions at every opportunity. What did Gokudera need? What did he want?

Tsuna paused. He thought back on everything he’d learned in school over the years, thought back to his weekend and the little Reborn had told him. Wondered what he would do, what he would need, if he were an Italian omega born in an isolated coastal city.

“Follow us, Gokudera-kun,” said Tsuna, attempting to sound as stern as possible. 

Gokudera hurried to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though this is the end of Hayato's "part," there's still a lot about his life that's being left unsaid. It WILL be revealed and addressed in later parts, I assure you. 
> 
> Also, we're staying true to the canon of Hayato being ride or die for Tsuna from ~~day~~ week one.

Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera left their classmates gaping after them as they left the room. Tsuna was glad to have a wall between them as Yamamoto slid the door shut behind them. “You’d think they’d never seen a transfer student before,” sighed Yamamoto. “Sorry about them, Gokudera, they’ll calm down after a few days.”

Tsuna gave Gokudera a quick once over. “Did you forget your lunch, too? I thought I saw you with it earlier.”

Gokudera stared at Tsuna owlishly. “I left it at my desk.”

“I’ll grab it,” Yamamoto said immediately, turning back toward the classroom. “Hold on a sec.”

“Are you okay?” Tsuna asked as soon as Yamamoto was gone. “I know this must be… a lot.”

That was probably a gross understatement. Sensory overload was a typical occurrence for Tsuna, and he’d learned to cope with it over the years. But for someone like Gokudera, who was scared, nervous, and in a new environment to boot, it must have been overwhelming. Gokudera still didn’t emit much scent, but Tsuna could still pick up on the nervous tension in the other omega’s body.

“I’m fine,” Gokudera said quietly. “I changed schools a lot. This is nothing new.”

Yamamoto came back before Tsuna could say anything else. “Here you go,” he said, offering Gokudera the bento Nana had made for him the night before. Gokudera took it from him gingerly, mumbling a quiet, “Thank you.”

“Let’s go to the roof,” Yamamoto said. “It should be quiet up there.”

Tsuna followed after the beta, Gokudera trailing just behind him. “What if Hibari-san is there?”

“You’ll sniff him out before we get there,” Yamamoto said with a wave of his hand. “We’ll figure out another place to go if he is.”

Any trace Tsuna caught of Hibari’s scent on the way was stale, so they made it up to the roof with no trouble. Tsuna was slightly wary of being up there with Yamamoto, but the beta didn’t seem perturbed, so Tsuna figured he was probably just overthinking it.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I never really introduced myself, did I?” Yamamoto said once they’d settled down in the shadow cast by the stairwell’s landing. He extended a hand to Gokudera, flashing him a blinding grin. “I’m Yamamoto Takeshi. I’ve known Tsuna since we were super little.”

Tsuna’s eyes darted nervously back and forth between the two boys. He really wished he would’ve had the time to warn Yamamoto about Gokudera’s skittishness, but it was much too late now.

Gokudera stared at Yamamoto’s hand for a long time. Yamamoto didn’t waver, didn’t drop his hand or his smile.

Gokudera shifted slightly before reaching out and shaking Yamamoto’s hand. He didn’t say a word.

“If you need help with anything, just let us know,” said Yamamoto. “But I’m sure Tsuna’s already told you that.” He leaned closer, cupping his mouth and whispering conspiratorially in Gokudera’s ear, “Maybe ask me if you have homework questions, though.”

“I _heard_ that,” cried Tsuna. “And you only did two points better than me on our last math test!”

“Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right,” Yamamoto said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring up at the sky in contemplation. “Hm, I think Kyouko gets good grades. Maybe she’ll agree to tutor all three of us.”

“Kyouko-chan has better things to do than – “ Tsuna stopped at a soft sound from Gokudera. The other omega had a hand over his mouth, and his shoulders moved in barely noticeable bounces every few seconds.

“I guess it is kinda funny,” Yamamoto said, joining Gokudera in his quiet laughter. “Neither of us was ever very good at school. I just do enough to stay on the baseball team.”

“Is it funny, though?” asked Tsuna, still mostly reeling from seeing Gokudera _laugh._ “You aren’t worried about getting into a good high school?”

Yamamoto shrugged. “I believe in us.” At Tsuna’s sour look, Yamamoto grinned sheepishly. “Namimori High’s entrance exam isn’t _that_ hard. But… Dad would probably let us work at the restaurant if all else fails?”

Tsuna sighed, wishing he had even an ounce of Yamamoto’s positivity. “What about you, Gokudera?” asked Yamamoto. “Will you go back to Italy for high school?”

Gokudera glanced at Tsuna. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You have time to figure it out,” Yamamoto said, as if they wouldn’t be graduating in a little less than a year. “I’m not worried about it.”

Tsuna almost said Yamamoto didn’t worry about anything, but he bit the words back before they could take form. Because he knew firsthand that Yamamoto _did_ worry about things, maybe more than he would ever let on. Would Tsuna even know if he hadn’t stumbled on the beta the day he tried to jump?

“Tsuna?” Tsuna jerked. Yamamoto and Gokudera were both looking at him, Yamamoto with thinly veiled concern in his eyes. “You okay?”

“Huh? What?”

“Your scent just,” Yamamoto made a steadily lowering wave motion with his hand. “Like your mood completely tanked?”

Tsuna shook his head. “It’s nothing, I’m fine. I was just… thinking… ”

Yamamoto stared at him contemplatively. All of a sudden, his eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. “ _Oh,_ god, this is the first time we’ve been up here since I tried to jump, huh?”

“Yamamoto-kun – “ Tsuna tried helplessly.

Gokudera seemed alarmed, dark eyes owlish as he looked between Tsuna and Yamamoto. “I was in a pretty bad place a while ago,” Yamamoto explained. “I messed up my arm pretty bad, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to play baseball anymore. I was _so_ close, too. I was standing right there,” he gestured to the far ledge, “when Tsuna found me and pulled me down.”

Tsuna felt like he couldn’t stop Yamamoto, although he desperately wanted to. Thinking about that day still made him feel sick, and he wasn’t sure if this was something Gokudera should’ve been listening to. But this was Yamamoto’s trauma, not his own. Did he have the right to tell him to stop? Gokudera seemed enraptured, regardless, following Yamamoto’s gestures and hanging off his every word.

“Tsuna saved my life,” continued Yamamoto. “You and I wouldn’t have even met if it weren’t for him, Gokudera.”

Gokudera jumped at the sound of his name. “That’s… You’re fine now, though?”

Yamamoto nodded, eager. “Oh, for sure. And every day is so much fun! Tsuna’s just the best person to be around. He _gets you,_ ya know?”

Tsuna covered his face with his hands. “Please, stop, you’re being embarrassing.”

“Sorry, Tsuna,” Yamamoto laughed, not sounding sorry _in the slightest._ “Just being honest.”

Yamamoto carried the conversation as the three of them ate, he and Tsuna sharing his lunch while Gokudera chewed on his own. It was nice, just listening to the cadence of Yamamoto’s voice, and Tsuna wondered if things could really be like this in the future: the three of them, just sharing a simple comfort and honesty. No fronts. No posturing. Just… them.

Tsuna was troubled by how badly he found that he wanted that.

When the bell rang, and they all gathered their things to go back into the building, Tsuna caught Gokudera looking at him again. He couldn’t tell what the other omega was thinking, or how he felt about the things Yamamoto had said.

But Gokudera had actually spoken unprompted today. He’d even laughed. Tsuna felt that was probably more important than anything else.

***

The following school week went by a lot smoother than the three days after Gokudera’s arrival. Tsuna wasn’t sure what triggered the change, or even how to go about addressing it; but Gokudera was starting to warm up to him, so Tsuna wasn’t going to question it.

Gokudera stopped trying to avoid Tsuna, even taking to trailing after him as he did with Reborn, though oftentimes he would wait for Tsuna to explicitly tell him to follow. Maybe that was what had caused the change: Tsuna’s revelation over one of Gokudera’s behavioral tics.

The Italian omega waited for permission before doing anything, deferring to alphas in particular. He didn’t drink his tea until Reborn went first. He wouldn’t speak unless spoken to. He was in an almost constant state of submission.

That was why Gokudera hadn’t gone running with Tsuna and Reborn the first day they were in Japan. Reborn had told Tsuna to _tell_ Gokudera to come with them, not to ask him if he wanted to. Gokudera didn’t have any direction, so he didn’t respond when Tsuna tried to reach out.

The reality of it made Tsuna sick and kept him awake at night. What had happened to Gokudera to make him act like that?

For the first time in his life, Tsuna consulted his textbooks. Nana was shocked when Tsuna asked where she’d put his books from previous years. She pulled them out of the closet in the room that was going to be Gokudera’s – if Reborn ever decided to start cleaning it out – and asked Tsuna repeatedly if he needed any snacks or soothing music to help him focus. Tsuna wondered what she would say if she knew what he was actually doing, but he wasn’t going to tell her and find out.

Second-gender dynamics wasn’t something Tsuna thought about often. He was omega, yes, but he was far removed from the era when people were overtly discriminated against based on their second-gender. A lot of people still had biases, of course; Tsuna knew that from firsthand experience. Tsuna’s teachers had called it systemic, and only years of dialogue and institutional reform would make those biases disappear.

Tsuna read about all of that as he leafed through his grade school history textbooks. But nothing outside of Japan was explored in any sort of detail. He couldn’t find a thing about the second-gender policies Reborn had mentioned. The Internet was Tsuna’s next best source, but he didn’t really trust his ability to sort out what was true and what was over-exaggeration.

More than anything, Tsuna wanted Gokudera to tell him about it himself. He didn’t want someone else’s version of how things were; that wouldn’t help him in his current situation. Tsuna had his suspicions, but those would accomplish nothing if they weren’t confirmed or denied by the source.

The problem was figuring out how to reach Gokudera, to make him feel comfortable and understand that Tsuna wanted to help. The other omega seemed to be a little more comfortable around him now, but Tsuna could tell there was still some sort of barrier between them.

How to breach it was anyone’s guess. A part of Tsuna wanted to ask Yamamoto what he would do in his situation, but Tsuna felt that would somehow be betraying Gokudera’s trust and refrained.

In the end, Tsuna found courage under the cover of darkness. He and Gokudera never said much to each other in the evenings, despite sleeping in the same room. Tsuna would lay in bed at night, wide-awake and haunted by everything he didn’t know. And Gokudera tossed and turned in his futon, also unable to find sleep for whatever reason.

They were both troubled. Something needed to be done.

On Friday night, exactly one week after Reborn and Gokudera arrived, Tsuna decided that he had nothing to lose. The day had gone well. He and Gokudera talked about homework on the way home, Gokudera walking alongside Tsuna instead of trailing slightly behind. “Hey, Gokudera-kun,” Tsuna said into the darkness. “Can I ask you a question?”

The odds of Gokudera answering weren’t bad. He’d started responding to questions more, and at school, if something perplexed or unnerved Gokudera, he would oftentimes look to Tsuna. But some part of Tsuna still expected not to get a response. He couldn’t even tell if Gokudera was awake or not –

“Sure,” a voice said from the floor. Tsuna heard Gokudera shifting underneath his blanket.

Tsuna swallowed. He didn’t actually think he’d get that far. “Do you have any siblings?” Awkward. Random. Bad move, No Good Tsuna, could you be any more transparent? “I’m an only child, you know, so I just wonder… I guess… what it’s like?”

Gokudera exhaled heavily while Tsuna held his breath. “I have an older sister.”

“Oh! That’s – “

“I don’t like her,” Gokudera continued in a rush, as if the words themselves refused to be contained. Tsuna snapped his mouth shut, blinking owlishly at the ceiling. “She’s an alpha.”

“Do you… hate all alphas?”

“Not… really,” said Gokudera, though he sounded hesitant, unsure.

Tsuna took a deep breath. _Now or never._ “I’ve been wanting to tell you, Gokudera-kun. I – I really want to be your friend.” Gokudera made an odd, indecipherable sound. Tsuna wished he were brave to enough to have done this during the day so he could see the other boy’s face. “I want to be your friend, and I wish you’d open up to me. Because I – I can tell you’re hurting, and I want to help you.

“If I’m overstepping here, please, tell me,” Tsuna continued at Gokudera’s enduring quiet. “You don’t have to tell me or any of us anything if you don’t want. I’ll still want to be your friend. I just… wanna help, I guess. If I can.”

Gokudera let out a small noise that could’ve been a laugh, but Tsuna couldn’t tell. “I don’t know if I can tell you.” Tsuna nodded, even though Gokudera couldn’t see him. “But… I want to.”

“That’s enough, for now,” said Tsuna softly. “I can wait until you’re ready.”

They lapsed into silence again. The knot that had lived in Tsuna’s chest for a week seemed to dissolve, and Tsuna let his eyes drift shut, content with the progress he’d managed to make. Letting Gokudera know how he felt was good enough for now. It would be up to the other omega if things went any further.

Just as Tsuna was starting to drift off, Gokudera spoke again, soft and yearning. “I want to be your friend, too.”

***

The next morning, their quiet walk to school was infinitely less uncomfortable than usual. They still didn’t speak much, but sometimes Gokudera’s elbow brushed Tsuna's as they walked. Gokudera also still expressed an anxious sort of fear when they walked by strangers, but he curled his body toward Tsuna instead of in on himself.

“We’re gonna get yelled at,” Tsuna groaned, clutching at the straps of his backpack. They both had slept through their alarm. Reborn had come in half an hour after they were supposed to be downstairs, clapping in their faces and shouting _Up and at ‘em, boys!_ Tsuna had fallen out of his bed and landed on the floor beside Gokudera. The day wasn’t off to the best start. “I hope Hibari-san isn’t watching the gate today.”

“We can sneak in,” said Gokudera, though the look they exchanged was uncertain. “We’re both good at staying under the radar.”

Tsuna shuddered. As if either of them had a chance of sneaking past their school’s most infamous alpha.

The gate wasn’t closed when they hurried up the sidewalk. Tsuna opened his mouth slightly, scenting the air for any trace of Hibari or other Disciplinary Committee members. “I think we’re good,” he said. “Let’s hurry.”

They were getting their indoor shoes from their lockers when the back of Tsuna’s neck began to tingle, alerting the omega to a presence behind him. Gokudera abruptly stopped moving, keying into the same disturbance barely a few seconds after Tsuna. Before either of them could act, a voice said, “Oi, No Good Tsuna. I wanna talk to you for a second.”

Tsuna turned. An alpha was walking up to them, hands stuffed in the pockets of his slacks; he was a grade above them judging by the color of his tie. He didn’t have a backpack with him, so he must have gone to his classroom and then come back here just to wait for Tsuna. His expression was mild, but Tsuna had a bad feeling deep in his gut.

As it stood, Tsuna’s options were limited, what with Gokudera at his side. Normally he’d be able to determine what the alpha’s intentions were – although with a greeting like “Oi, No Good Tsuna,” this could hardly be a friendly encounter – but it was hard to pick up anything over the stench of Gokudera’s fear.

 _He doesn’t have much of a fight or flight instinct_ , Reborn’s words echoed in Tsuna’s head. _He tends to freeze up more than anything._

“We’re late to class,” Tsuna said, not moving a single inch. “Plus… I don’t think I know you?”

“That’s fine,” the alpha said. “I just wanted to talk to you for a bit about Takeshi.”

“Yamamoto-kun?”

“You’ve been hanging around him a lot lately. Whole team’s been talking about it.”

Yamamoto hadn’t mentioned that. But then, why would he? “Why would they – “

“It doesn’t look good, is the thing,” the upperclassman went on, “for Takeshi to get involved with someone like you. He’s a good baseball player, you know? Could really go far. It would suck if he was influenced by a slacker like you.”

Tsuna blinked. For a moment, it was like he was out of his own body, watching one of his elementary school teachers take Nana aside and talk softly to her as if Tsuna couldn’t hear her that way. _He’s really starting to rub off on the other children. Maybe your mate could talk to him?_

“It isn’t my fault.” Tsuna was surprised to hear himself speak. His voice was shaky and faint. But still. He spoke back. “My instincts – “

The alpha waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, we know all about that weird omega shit. Takeshi just doesn’t need you distracting him, is all. The team’s been talking, and we think it’d be better if you backed off a little.”

It isn’t my fault, Tsuna wanted to scream. None of it, not his distractedness, not his relationship with Yamamoto. The beta was the one who’d initiated their friendship, not Tsuna.

“You should talk to Yamamoto about it,” Tsuna replied, angling his body back toward Gokudera and reaching for the other omega’s elbow. “We really have to get going – “

“Hey,” the alpha growled, “we weren’t finished talking.”

Before Tsuna could get a good grip on Gokudera and make a run for it, a cold, solid hand clamped down on the back of his neck. Tsuna’s eyes grew wide, breath halting and body growing stiff for a brief moment before going completely slack. He began to drop, and the older alpha cursed in apparent surprise before releasing him, letting Tsuna crumple to the floor.

Tsuna’s hands flew to the nape of his neck, covering the spot the alpha had touched, as if trying to physically stifle the lingering chill. He hunched down on the floor, trying to regulate his choppy, desperate breathing in an attempt to ward off the panic that was steadily building inside him.

Tsuna hadn’t had the back of his neck grabbed like that since he was very small. Nana never once disciplined him in that way, and she yelled at Iemitsu the one time he tried when Tsuna was around five or six for this exact reason.

Because Tsuna didn’t react to normal, societal things in the way most people did. He reacted deeply, intensely, ten times stronger than anyone else.

A sharp sound forced Tsuna out of his own head, where his inner omega cowered and howled like he’d been beaten. The sound was loud and quick. It reminded Tsuna of the week before, of watching Hibari slap himself across the face.

“ _Stronzo!”_ Tsuna’s eyes widened. “Didn’t your parents teach you not to touch people like that? What would you have done if you hurt him or made him hurt himself?”

“I – “ The alpha sounded stunned. “I didn’t think – “

Gokudera scoffed, and Tsuna blinked through the blur of his tears as the other omega appeared in his line of vision. He crouched down beside Tsuna, not close enough to touch him, but enough for Tsuna to feel his body heat. He wasn’t looking at Tsuna, instead glaring up at the threat Tsuna could no longer see.

It was the first time Tsuna could remember Gokudera making eye contact with any alpha aside from Reborn.

“Alphas like you make me sick,” snarled Gokudera. He was shaking ever so slightly, coiled tight like a wild animal ready to pounce. “Of course you didn’t think, you don’t have a single intelligent thought in your head.”

“Hey,” the alpha began, sounding as if he’d gathered some of his composure. Tsuna wrinkled his nose, the back of his throat suddenly burning. Maybe he was just imaging things, but… “You can’t just – “

“Might I remind you that fighting on school grounds is strictly prohibited,” another voice said from behind them. Tsuna managed to turn his head around to watch as the alpha paled and jumped to the side, revealing Hibari. Where exactly he’d come from, or how much he’d heard, Tsuna couldn’t tell. One thing was for sure though: Hibari was pissed. “Assaulting omegas, I see. I’m sure that gives you a decent ego boost, Suzuki.”

“Hibari-san!” The alpha – Suzuki – stammered. “I didn’t – I was just – “

“Making other students late to class, bullying an omega, grabbing him by the back of the neck without consent,” Hibari cut him off, gray eyes giving Tsuna a quick once over before pinning the other alpha with a hard stare. Suzuki whimpered. “Yes, I can see that for myself.”

“The other one punched me!” Suzuki yelped, and Gokudera actually _growled_ , sending another shock through Tsuna’s system.

“In self-defense, I’m sure,” said Hibari dismissively. “But you can plead your case to me in the Disciplinary Committee room. I’m sure you can find your way there. Unless, of course,” for a moment, Tsuna caught another whiff of Hibari’s scent, not nearly as overpowering as the very first time, but enough to wrinkle Tsuna’s noise again, “you’d like me to escort you.”

Suzuki’s reaction was instantaneous. He didn’t acknowledge Tsuna and Gokudera at all as he ducked his head and hurried off, giving Hibari the widest berth possible. “You two head to class,” Hibari said. “Can you stand, Sawada?”

Tsuna wasn’t sure. He was still covering the back of his neck with both hands, and one of his legs had gone numb. His mouth was dry, but Tsuna still felt compelled to give Hibari an answer. “He’s fine,” Gokudera jumped in before Tsuna could say anything. “I’ll help him.”

Hibari nodded, eyes flitting to Tsuna one more time before he turned and followed after Suzuki. Tsuna didn’t uncover his neck until both of the alphas were out of sight, releasing a shaky sigh that did nothing to release the tension holding his body hostage.

“Are you okay?” Gokudera asked quietly, now that it was just the two of them at the shoe cubbies. When Tsuna finally looked at him, he didn’t seem anything like the person he’d been in front of Suzuki and Hibari. His expression was softer, and his gaze wasn’t as scathing or blatantly hostile. “That guy didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Tsuna shook his head. He’d dealt with a lot over the years. He was shaken up, definitely, but it would take more than Suzuki and his lingering childish habit to really hurt Tsuna.

As children, before Presenting, most kids would somehow wind up getting their necks touched or touching the necks of others for any number of reasons. It was something everyone grew up with, their parents plucking them by the scruff when they disobeyed or were acting too wild. Children instinctively grew docile and submissive, malleable to the wishes of the adults in their lives. It was a survival mechanism, so that children could be easily carried out of harm’s way.

But it was also dangerous, leaving the young vulnerable to those who would do them harm. Learning not to touch other kid’s necks without permission was something taught in early education, before puberty was even a concern. Children that eventually presented as alphas or betas grew out of the instinctual need to submit when the backs of their necks were grabbed.

Omegas did not.

“Who does he think he is?” Gokudera grumbled, standing and offering a hand to Tsuna to pull him up as well. “Telling you who you can and can’t hang out with. Wait until Yamamoto hears about this.”

Tsuna shook his head, taking back his hand now that he was on his own two feet. “You can’t!” he exclaimed, wincing when Gokudera flinched back at his outburst. “You can’t tell Yamamoto-kun about this,” Tsuna continued, quieter, “you just can’t.”

“Why not?”

“He’ll be upset,” Tsuna said, whining a little at Gokudera’s ‘ _well, duh’_ look. “He told you about… what happened. Baseball is really important to him. It won’t be good if he starts fighting with his teammates. It’s better if we just… forget this happened.”

Gokudera cocked his head slightly. “But… I thought he was your Second?” Tsuna wasn’t sure what that meant, though he very well wasn’t in the right mind to ask. At his silence, Gokudera sighed and continued, “I may not know Yamamoto very well, but even I know he won’t be happy to hear that you were targeted and that we kept it from him. He’s going to find out somehow.”

“He _won’t_ ,” Tsuna insisted. “I doubt Hibari-san will go to the coach about this. He hardly ever involves teachers in disciplinary stuff. And Suzuki definitely won’t say anything, so Yamamoto-kun won’t hear about it.” Gokudera still seemed uncertain, so Tsuna said, “ _Please,_ Gokudera-kun.”

After another moment, Gokudera nodded, though he was frowning. “Whatever you say.”

***

Later that night, Reborn came and sat beside Tsuna on the couch while he was watching television. Gokudera was taking his turn in the bath, and Nana was in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she cleaned. Tsuna had offered to help, but she’d just waved him off and told him to relax a little before bed.

“Something happened at school today,” Reborn said in that voice of his that suggested he already knew he was correct and wouldn’t be told otherwise. “You and Hayato both seemed off.”

“It was nothing, really,” Tsuna replied, being very careful to keep his tone neutral, never once taking his eyes away from the nature documentary he’d been watching. “Just had a run-in with an upperclassman.”

“A run-in, huh,” Reborn murmured, spreading his arms over the back of the couch. He was wearing sweatpants and a black t-shirt; even if he did wear other clothes aside from his suits, it was still weird to see. He seemed relaxed, like this was his territory and he’d lived in it for ages. Tsuna, in the far, _far_ recesses of his mind, kind of wished that were the case. “And this upperclassman just, what, fell into the back of your neck?

“Your skin’s obviously irritated,” Reborn pointed out as Tsuna’s hand flew to the back of his neck on instinct. “Did you think your mom and I wouldn’t notice?”

“He didn’t grab me that hard,” Tsuna grumbled, cursing his sensitive omegan skin and overactive glands. Suzuki had barely brushed against one of his scent glands with his thumb, although Tsuna hadn’t noticed at the time, what with everything else that was going on. The unwanted and aggressive contact had sent a shock through Tsuna’s system that was obviously still lingering. “Hibari-san took care of it.”

Reborn hummed. “The head of that pack of thugs at your school?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

“Well, sounds like everything’s just fine, then,” Reborn said. “And Hayato was with you? He saw everything?”

Tsuna nodded, ducking his head almost in shame. He knew what happened wasn’t his fault, but he also knew that Reborn trusted him with Gokudera, and he’d gone and messed everything up. “Yeah, he, uh… he punched Suzuki, I think? I mean, I didn’t see, but I heard, and Suzuki said – “

“Wait, he _punched_ the guy?”

“Yeah, but he’s not going to get into trouble, I don’t think. Hibari-san said it was self-defense.”

Reborn was silent, and Tsuna waited fretfully, glancing at the older alpha from his peripheral. But all Reborn did was snort before bursting into a fit of laughter, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. “You boys are something else,” Reborn chuckled while Tsuna looked on in confusion. “It’s been, what, a week? And you already earned Hayato’s loyalty?”

“I – I wouldn’t say _that,_ ” Tsuna stammered. “That’s just normal, right? To do something when something bad happens right in front of you?”

“Not in the pack he comes from,” Reborn replied, shaking his head. But when he turned to look at Tsuna, he was grinning. “Hayato gave you a really precious gift, Tsuna.”

Tsuna didn’t know what to say to that, just sat quietly as Reborn stood from the couch, pressing his hands against his lower back and arching until his spine popped. “You’re a good kid, Tsunayoshi,” Reborn said, reaching out to ruffle Tsuna’s hair as he walked past. “Don’t ever change, yeah?”

Tsuna was a little bewildered, though he appreciated the sentiment; even if he could think of dozens of others who would hear Reborn’s words and laugh.

“Guess I can get started on clearing out that spare room now,” Reborn mused as he wandered out of the room. “Make yourself useful and come help me.”

Tsuna started to stand, still pondering Reborn’s earlier words, but he froze mid-crouch, eyes narrowing. “Wait, have you been putting that off on purpose?”

“Nah, was just feeling lazy, is all,” Reborn replied, but Tsuna could hear the mirth in his voice.

The omega sighed. He really wasn’t going to catch any sort of a break over the next couple of months, was he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honey, you've got a big storm comin'


End file.
